Where Have All The Children Gone?
by P3CharmedFreak
Summary: Piper and Leo's teenage child, Melinda, is kidnapped by two demons who steal the essence of children to maintain their youth. A spell in the BoS to attract the demons turns Piper into a child again. Fully posted, please read and review!
1. Teaser: Crime And Punishment

TEASER

**INT. MANOR, ATTIC, NIGHT**

Melinda Halliwell-Wyatt stood at the family's Book of Shadows, flipping the pages furiously. Every few seconds she glanced up at the doorway or used her Whitelighter ability to scan the area for anyone that might be coming upstairs, but luckily her mother, father, and aunts were all otherwise occupied.

After a few minutes of scanning the pages of the ancient tome, Melinda found what she was looking for. She quickly copied down the spell and set the paper down. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated, disappearing in a swirl of blue-ish sparkles. A few minutes later, she re-appeared, holding a few ingredients she needed for the potion she was about to make. Then she set about the task of making the potion quickly and quietly.

"Just a bit of powdered toadstool and… it's ready," she said quietly. Just as she was about to read the spell, she heard footsteps heading towards the attic, up the stairwell. Before she could get rid of the potion and the leftover ingredients, her mother and Aunt Phoebe came up the stairs and saw her.

"Melinda Jayne Halliwell-Wyatt, just what on Earth do you think you're doing?!" Piper asked angrily, storming over to her daughter and ripping the spell from Melinda's grasp. "A spell to increase your grades? Are you on drugs or something?"

"No…" Melinda said meekly, not really sure what else to add.

"You go to your room this instant! Ohh, boy, you don't even want to _know_ what kind of trouble you're in!"

"But mom – "

"No, I'm so _sick_ and _tired_ of your shenanigans lately. Is this some kind of teenage stunt you're pulling?"

"It's late, mom, I have school in the morning," Melinda said, avoiding her mother's gaze as she stormed out of the attic.

"Freeze!" her mother said angrily, aiming her hands at her daughter to freeze her, but because her emotions were running so high, she blew up a nearby vase instead.

"Dammit, I just bought that! Melinda you come back here right this instant!" Piper shouted, following Melinda to her bedroom, but before she could get a word in, the bedroom door was slammed in her face.

**INT. MANOR, KITCHEN, NEXT MORNING**

Piper Halliwell-Wyatt set the last piece of French toast on a plate and glanced at a nearby clock, which read 7:05am. Sighing impatiently, she walked to the bottom of the stairs and shouted up to her 15-year old daughter.

"Melinda!" Piper called. "Your bus comes in five minutes, and you're not gonna be on it unless you hurry up!"

"I'm coming, Mom!" she heard Melinda shout. Piper turned and walked back towards the kitchen, but was bumped aside as Melinda raced past. Glaring at her daughter, she walked over to the sink and began washing the frying pan she'd used to make the French toast.

Melinda raced into the kitchen before her mother, her backpack on her shoulder.

"We're not done discussing what you did last night, Melinda, is that clear?" Piper asked sternly. Melinda just glared at her mother as she grabbed a piece of toast and gave Piper a quick peck on the cheek, then ran out the door. Piper glanced out the window just in time to see Melinda gesture with her hands, freezing the bus as it started to pull away from the bus stop. Piper sighed and took a deep breath to keep herself from blowing her daughter to smithereens.

"Melinda!" she yelled out the window. Melinda looked back at her mother and cringed. Piper gestured and unfroze the bus, a power she had as Melinda's biological mother, then looked on in amusement as Melinda watched it drive away, leaving her behind. Then she stormed back into the house, furious.

**INT. MANOR, PARLOR (CONTINUOUS)**

"Mom, I missed the bus! I have a major test in English today, and Mr. Lawrence hates me already!" she protested, but Piper just gave her a look of impatience.

"I just knew something was up when you rushed out day after day, always running behind, but you managed to make it on time each and every single day! How many times do I have to tell you about not using your magic for personal gain!" Piper scolded, pacing back and forth.

"But mom – " Melinda started to say.

"No buts! Go up to your room and wait until I tell your father what you did!" Piper said. Melinda ran upstairs and Piper heard a door slam. She sighed, then went and sat at the table, grabbing the news section of that morning's newspaper. The headline caught her eye immediately:

"_TEENAGE GIRL REPORTED MISSING, AUTHORITIES PERPLEXED"_

Piper took a sip of her coffee and sighed sadly, wishing that she could use her powers to eliminate all of the evils in the world, not just the demonic ones. Then she continued reading and drinking her coffee.

**EXT. DEMONIC UNDERGROUND, ETERNAL NIGHT**

Two kids, each about fifteen years old, sat in a dark basement, somewhere. One was whimpering quietly, while their kidnappers sat nearby, watching and laughing. After a few minutes, the kidnappers got up and walked over to the kids, smiling mischievous smiles. Each grabbed one of the kids by the throat and started to suck their life from them, much like one would suck juice from a straw. The kids' skin turned a putrid gray color, and their eyes sunk in as their skin wrinkled like a raisin. After the demons were finished, they dropped the lifeless bodies to the ground and walked out, laughing.


	2. Act I: Run Away, Run Away

ACT I

INT. MANOR­, DAY

           Piper knew Melinda couldn't miss school, so she gave her permission to orb there, as long as she wasn't seen doing so.  Then she went about her usual daily activities, and before she knew it, 3:00 had come and Melinda was bounding through the door.  However, to Piper's mild disappointment, her daughter didn't give her the usual hug; instead, she went straight to her room, slamming the door behind her.

           Melinda didn't come down for dinner, and both Phoebe and Paige questioned this, but Piper just shrugged it off, saying she was probably busy or something.  Paige had a movie date that night, so she was out the door in a flash after dinner, but Phoebe offered to help Piper clean up.

INT. MANOR, KITCHEN, NIGHT

           "You know, maybe you're being too hard on Melinda," Phoebe said, putting away the dinner leftovers as they talked.  "She's only 15."

           "Phoebe, I don't do it for kicks, I do it to protect her, okay?"  Piper said, then realized she'd been very harsh, "I'm sorry, I'm just stressed, that's all."

           "It's okay," Phoebe said.  "Listen, I have some letters to read and try to respond to, so I'm heading up to my room."

           "Okay," Piper said.  "See you in the morning."

INT. MANOR, A BIT LATER

           Piper carefully carried a tray of food up the staircase and towards Melinda's favorite studying place: .  Just as Piper thought, she was there, and Piper could see her bent over a notebook, writing with much concentration.  Holding the tray steady, she used her foot to "knock" on the doorframe.

           "I'm not really in the mood to talk, Dad," Melinda said, turning around to face the door.  When she saw her mother, she scowled and turned back to her work.

           "Go away," she said, not once looking at her mother.

           "I brought you some dinner.  Your favorite, chicken and mashed potatoes," Piper said, trying to show enthusiasm.

           "Leave it and go away!"  Melinda said forcibly.

INT. MANOR, MELINDA'S ROOM, SECONDS LATER

           Piper set the tray on the dresser and walked towards Melinda.  "We should talk."

           "There's nothing to say, so leave me alone," Melinda replied, still not looking at her mother.

           "Melinda, I'm sorry for yelling at you, okay?  I'm very sorry," Piper said gently, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.  Melinda jerked away and stood up, facing her mother.

           "Just... save it, okay?"  Melinda said, and Piper felt as if she'd been slapped across the cheek.

           "Melinda..."  Piper said, but decided just to leave her daughter alone for a bit, to let her cool off.  Fighting back tears of a mother's pain, she retreated to her and Leo's bedroom.

           After her mother left, Melinda walked over to the tray of food and looked at it.  Her mother had, indeed, made her favorite foods.

           "But that doesn't matter," a voice in her head said.  "She was trying to butter you up, trying to make you forgive her."

           Melinda carried the tray over to her desk, and while she ate, she thought about the whole situation.  Finally, she knew what she had to do.  She had to prove herself.  She went over to close her bedroom door, locking it for the added assurance that no one would barge in.  Then she took a large duffel bag from a high-up shelf in her closet and set to work packing it.  She was going to go away for a while, and she wouldn't come back until she'd proved herself!

INT. MANOR, PIPER AND LEO'S ROOM, LATE NIGHT

           Piper sat in the rocking chair in her and Leo's bedroom, watching one of those late night talk shows.  Her husband, Leo, hadn't come home yet, and normally she was patient with his long hours, but she was stressed over the morning's incident, and wanted his advice.  She flicked off the TV and stood up, gazing up at the ceiling.

           "Leo!"  Piper called.

           "Piper, what is it," Leo asked, concerned, once he'd orbed in.

           "It's Melinda,"  Piper said, sighing.  She went over to her closet and began putting away the clothes from the laundry that was theirs.

           "What this time," he said.  "You're always yelling at her for something..."

           "She's using her powers for her own reasons!"  Piper said, throwing on a nightgown as she talked.  "She's freezing the school bus so she's not late!  She's - "

           "She's a teenager, Piper.  You grew up without powers, so you didn't do things like that cause you _couldn't_," Leo said gently, as he too got into his nightclothes.  "But she's just being a normal witch, trust me!  I may be a guy, I may have never been a witch, but I have plenty of charges who are her age."  Leo said, smiling at his wife and walking over to their bed.

           "Do _they_ use their powers for their own needs?  Do they also use them in front of _mortals_?!"  Her husband didn't have a response to that as he climbed into bed, and she sighed, frustrated.  "I just don't want her getting exposed, or for that matter getting us exposed!"  Piper said, joining him in bed.  "I saw the future.  Witches aren't safe in the future, and even though it's changed because of our actions, who's to say that the witch hunts won't happen anyway?"

           Leo stopped her rambling, then said, "Honey, you don't know that, okay?  Besides, she's a responsible young lady, and a responsible witch, for that matter," Leo reassured his wife.  He gave her a flirtatious look and turned the bedroom lights out.

INT. MANOR, MELINDA'S ROOM, MID-NIGHT

           "I'm gonna show Mommy that I'm responsible.  I'm gonna make her realize that I'm a big witch, and that I can make my own decisions!"

           Melinda thought this as she gazed at a photo of her family, then shoved it in her backpack.  With one last look around her room, she orbed out, leaving behind a note that fluttered to the floor.

INT. DEMONIC UNDERGROUND, ETERNAL NIGHT

           "Dammit!"  Krevnik said, throwing an energy ball furiously at one of the rock formations.  It exploded into smithereens.  Another demon, Yaren, shimmered in, and the first demon looked to him.

           "What're you pissed off at now?"  Yaren asked sarcastically, leaning against a wall casually.

           "I want more power!  The children we feed off now are simply a temporary hold, but I'm getting sick of them.  I want something... tastier..."

           "I was thinking the same thing earlier," Yaren said.  "And I think I know where to get it..."

           He gestured to the opposite wall, and a moving image appeared, of Melinda walking somewhere, _alone_...

INT. SOUTH BAY HIGH, HALLWAY, MID-NIGHT

           Melinda wandered the halls of her school, heading towards her locker.  It was after school hours, so she didn't need to worry about questioning friends or prodding teachers.  Suddenly, she heard a whisper.

           "Melinda..." the voice said, causing her to turn around suddenly.

           "Hello?" she called.  "Who's there?"

           She knew from her mother and aunts that being alone in a big building was a very bad idea when you were, or had blood relations to a Charmed One, but that didn't stop her.  Thinking fast, she said a spell her Aunt Phoebe had taught her when she was younger.

_           "Reveal the hidden one's true form,_

_           Reveal the being where the air is warm."_

           Melinda gasped as a gruesome demon appeared before her, and he immediately threw an energy ball at her, but she dodged it.  She gestured to blow him up, but he was one of those annoying types that were immune to her powers.  Luckily, she had learned some martial arts moves from her Aunt Phoebe, and she thrust out her leg, catching his and making him lose his balance.  Once he regained his balance, he thrust another energy ball at her.  Every energy ball he threw she dodged, and after a while, he seemed to have given up, but he suddenly got a devilish look on his already devilish face.  He gestured towards her, and a bolt of lightning shot from his hand towards her.  The lightning bolt caught her by surprise, and she was unable to avoid it.  before she realized what was happening, the lightning hit her, knocking her to the ground and causing her to lose consciousness.

INT. MANOR, PIPER AND LEO'S ROOM, NEXT MORNING

           The alarm clock went off as it always did at 6:00am, and Piper groggily reached over to hit the snooze button, blowing it up on accident.  This was what usually happened on school mornings.  She lazily climbed out of bed and went to make sure Melinda was up.  Melinda's door was closed, so Piper knocked before opening it, to respect her daughter's privacy.

           "Mel?  Time to get up," Piper said, peeking in.  The bed was nicely made, so Piper figured that her daughter was already up and getting ready for school.  She walked downstairs to the kitchen, prepared to face the roaring beast called Melinda Wyatt.  However, when she entered the kitchen, there was no sign of Melinda.  Her nerves tingling a bit, she searched all throughout the downstairs, then checked the foyer to see if Melinda's backpack was there, as she left it there until she left for school every morning.  Seeing her daughter's backpack, she became alarmed, and ran upstairs to alert the rest of the family.  As she was walking down the hallway leading to the bedrooms, she stepped on something.  Hearing the crumble of wrinkling paper, she looked down to see what she had stepped on, then saw the note.  She folded it and read its contents, an expression of worry forming as she read more and more of it...

INT. MANOR, SECONDS LATER

           Piper frantically ran into her bedroom and shook Leo awake.  He went to search for Melinda while Piper woke Paige and Phoebe.

           "What?"  Paige said, rubbing her eyes as she walked out of her room.  Phoebe joined them in the hallway a few seconds later, looking equally groggy.

           "Why'd you wake me?  I was dreaming about Justin - " she started, but was cut off by Piper.

           "It's Melinda, she's missing!  She – she- she ran away!"  Piper stammered, then broke into sobs.  Paige and Phoebe gasped in horror.__


	3. Act II: The Search Is On

ACT II

INT. DEMONIC UNDERGROUND, ETERNAL NIGHT

           Melinda opened her eyes slowly, but stopped when she felt a wave of pain wash over her.  From what she could see, however, she realized that she was in a storage room of some kind.  She tried to sit up, but soon realized that her waist was tied to a wooden board on the floor, and the board had been nailed to the floor, trapping her.

           "HELP!" she called out, her voice weak and pained.  At that instant, someone or something shimmered in, holding an athame.  The figure bent down and looked her in the eye.

           "No one can help you, witch.  The only ones who can are your relatives, the Charmed Ones, but if they do they'll meet the ugly end of this athame," the figure snarled.  "Then we can feed on them and gain enormous power!"

           Melinda gasped, just as the figure struck a blow to her head, knocking her unconscious.

INT. MANOR, SAME DAY

           Piper paced frantically as Leo tried yet again to sense his daughter.  Paige orbed in a minute later, a worried look on her face.

           "I looked at her school, the mall..." her voice trailed off.

           "Where could she be?"  Piper said.

           Leo placed a comforting arm around his wife's shoulders.  Then he tensed, as if alarmed.  Piper saw the look in his eyes and knew that it was Melinda.  Melinda was in trouble, and as both her father and her Whitelighter, he could sense when she was in danger.

           "What?  What is it?  Is it Melinda?"  Piper asked, slightly panicked.

           "Yeah," he said.  "But wherever she is, it's protected from detection, so it must be an upper-level demon."

           Piper took a deep breath to calm herself and looked to Phoebe.  "Listen, you go check the Book, I'll go to Darryl, have him, I dunno, do something!  We'll meet back here in an hour, okay?"

           They all nodded in agreement.

INT. SAN FRANCISCO POLICE, A WHILE LATER

           "Darryl!"  Piper screamed, running into the police station.  She was in hysterics now, with many tears streaming down her face.  Darryl Morris, a police officer and family friend, raced from his office to her side, a look of concern on his face.

           "Piper, what happened?  Are you okay?  Are Phoebe and Paige okay?" he asked.

           "It's Melinda, she's missing!"  Piper cried, not bothering to lower her voice.  "We fought, and I sent her too her room, and she ran away, and was probably kidnapped by a demon or - "

           Darryl pulled her into his office, slamming the door.  "No creepy talk!"

           Piper nodded, realizing, and he gestured for her to sit down in front of his desk.

           "Do you think maybe she was taken by someone, or some_thing_?"  Darryl asked, pulling out a pad and pen to take notes.

           "I'm not sure, maybe.  I mean, maybe it's the usual thing, you know, trying to get to the Charmed Ones."  Piper replied, sniffling.

           Darryl picked his phone up and punched in a few numbers.  "This is Inspector Morris over here at SFPD," he said into the phone.  "We need a full inspection and search of the perimeter surrounding Prescott Street."

           Piper took a tissue from the box on his desk and blew her nose.

           "Uh, a child was reported missing, and she was last seen at 1329 Prescott," he said.  After talking for a few moments, he gave the person on the phone his fax number and hung up.  Then he walked over to Piper and bent down to look her in the eyes.  By this time, she had a faraway look on her face and her eyes looked empty and forlorn.

           "This is strange.  She's the second child to go missing in the last week.  Could be connected, but it's hard to say.  But we'll find her, Piper, I promise you that, okay?" he said, walking her out of the building.  "You should go home and talk to your sisters.  They'll comfort you more than I ever can, okay?"  Piper nodded mindlessly and walked out of the police station and towards her car.

INT. MANOR, A BIT LATER

           "Paige?  Phoebe?"  She called to her sisters, walking into the Manor fifteen minutes later.  Her sisters came running into the foyer, sympathetic looks on their faces.

           "Darryl called us, oh, Piper!"  Phoebe said, hugging her sister.  Paige hugged Piper as well, and they stood there for a moment, hugging each other.

           "Darryl said that after you left, he drove around the surrounding neighborhoods and asked residents if she was seen around there, but no one saw her," Paige said.

           "I have a feeling it's something supernatural.  I'm gonna check the Book," Phoebe said, walking up the stairs to the attic, with Paige and Piper following her.  As they made their way up the stairs, Piper lost her footing and bumped into Phoebe, who in turn bumped up against a picture Melinda had drawn that was now framed and hanging for all to see and admire.  Phoebe convulsed, and Paige and Piper knew she was having a premonition...

INT. PREMONITION

_           Melinda walking down a hallway; A demon grabbing her and shimmering out; Melinda and another teen her age in a dark basement, somewhere; Two demons sit in a corner, laughing as Melinda whimpers softly; each demon has one of the teens and they're sucking the life force out of each child; the demons throw the now lifeless bodies into a hole in the corner of the room..._

INT. MANOR, STAIRS, RESUME FROM EARLIER

           Phoebe gasped as she came out of the premonition and tears streamed down her face.  The picture she had bumped against fell to the ground, smashing the frame.  Phoebe's knees started to give way, but her sisters caught her before she fell to the ground.

           "What?  What did you see?"  Piper asked.

           "I saw - I saw Melinda, and a few others.  They were being killed by two demons," Phoebe said, regaining her composure.  "I'll find the demons in the Book."  Her sisters nodded and they continued up to the attic.

INT. MANOR, ATTIC, SECONDS LATER

           When they got up to the attic, Phoebe walked right over to the Book and flipped through it, trying to find anything she could on the demons in her premonition.  Paige sat Piper down on a chair nearby and walked over to Phoebe.

           "What did you see in the entire premonition?"  Paige whispered to her sister, glancing in Piper's direction to make sure she wasn't listening, but the poor girl was staring into space, a look of pure pain and confusion shown on her face.  Phoebe pointed to some writing in the Book and Paige looked at what she was pointing to as Phoebe read it aloud:

           "These demons are part of The Demons of The Collective, a group of demons who exist to take the innocence out of young children.  They thrive on the innocence to live and to be able to use their human forms as disguise.  Beware of these demons, for they are crafty, and their main purpose is to destroy the Charmed Ones."

           "Oh, now there's a surprise!"  Piper scoffed, looking at them, then looking back out the window.  Phoebe and Paige glanced at each other before looking at the Book again.

           "It says we can use a potion and this spell to be able to identify them even in their human form, and be able to destroy them," Paige read, looking over Phoebe's shoulder.

           "But only one can use the potion and spell," Phoebe said.

           "I'll do it," Piper said suddenly, standing up and walking over to them.  "She's my daughter."

           Paige and Phoebe nodded sympathetically, but both were worried of what the potion did in order to help lead them to the demons.  Phoebe, specifically, remembered the spell to track a Banshee that had turned Prue into a dog!  Then there was the time Prue was turned into a man when she cast a spell to attract a Succubus.  At that memory, she gave a small chuckle, but stifled at the thought and horror of Melinda's disappearance.

           "I'll get the potion ready," Piper said, looking over the ingredients carefully before heading downstairs.

INT. MANOR, KITCHEN, A LITTLE WHILE LATER

           Piper stood at the stove, adding herbs and things to a pot that was already 

bubbling.  She still had a blank stare on her face, and as she added the ingredients, it was clear that she was trying not to cry...

INT. MANOR, PARLOR, SAME TIME

           Paige and Phoebe were talking about things when they heard a big boom that seemed like it came from the kitchen.  Paige looked at Phoebe, and they both ran into the kitchen...

INT. MANOR, KITCHEN, SECONDS LATER

           ... Where Piper was lying down on the floor, motionless, and the potion pot was next to her, its contents spilling towards her.  Paige pulled the pot from the floor and Phoebe used a towel to mop up the potion.  Piper stirred a bit and mumbled, and Paige looked at her sister with a look of concern and worry on her face.

           "Piper, honey, wake up, you have got to wake up, sweetie," Phoebe said, shaking Piper's arm gently.

           "What?  What happened?"  Piper said groggily, trying to sit up.  She groaned in pain and lay down again.

           "We heard a loud sound, we came in and found you laying here, and you weren't moving.  We thought something had happened.  What happened?"  Paige asked.

           "I was making the potion, and the next thing I knew it had exploded in my face, and it knocked me out, I guess," Piper said, standing up slowly.

           "You might have lost control of your powers, or you might have dropped the pot, causing the potion to explode," Phoebe surmised, looking around at the stove and the surrounding area.

           Paige sat Piper down at the kitchen table and brought her a cup of hot water, then grabbed a teabag from the cup in the center of the table and handed it to Piper, who stuck it in the cup mindlessly, her tears drying on her face and giving her a blotchy look.

           "We'll get Melinda back, okay?"  Paige said, handing Piper a tissue.  Piper blew into it and threw it into the nearby trashcan.  "But first I think I'll make the potion, okay?"

           Piper nodded, and drank her tea, while Paige set to work making the potion.

INT. MANOR, ATTIC, A WHILE LATER

           Paige and Phoebe stood nearby as Piper held the potion in one hand and the spell in another.  She took a deep breath and read the spell:

           _"Magical forces, I call unto thee,_

           _Hear this rhyme and hear my plea._

           _To find the demons I need special sight,_

           _Give me power to make the wrong right."_

           Piper downed the potion, and for a moment, there was nothing.  Then, there was a crack of thunder, and smoke rose around Piper.  When the smoke cleared, there stood a teenager that looked about Melinda's age.  At that moment, Leo orbed in, and the now-teenage Piper gave a scream.  She looked from Paige to Phoebe with a panicky look on her face then took off.__


	4. Act III: Teenage Rampage

ACT III

INT. MANOR, UPSTAIRS HALLWAY, A FEW MINUTES LATER

           Paige and Phoebe ran through the upstairs, trying to catch 'Teenage Piper', who was running away from them, after seeing Leo orb.  Phoebe leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, and Paige looked at her with a beaten expression.

           "Why'd she freak like that?"  Paige asked, putting her hand to her chest to try to stop her racing heart.

           "I think the spell turned her into a teenager in the literal sense," Phoebe responded, facing her sister.  They heard loud footsteps running towards Piper's bedroom, and a loud sound told them that Piper had slammed her door.

INT. MANOR, PARLOR, A BIT LATER

           Phoebe sat in the parlor reading a magazine while Paige was off somewhere else, both giving Piper time to calm down.  Suddenly, she heard a big explosion.

           "Piper?" she shouted.  "Piper, are you okay?  Piper, what was that sound?"  Phoebe shouted, as she ran upstairs to Piper's bedroom.  Her jaw dropped in shock.  Paige stood in the midst of wood pieces, the remains of Piper's bedroom door.

           "What happened here?"  Phoebe asked, cautiously stepping into the room.

           "All I did was knock on the door," Paige said, and they both looked to the teenage Piper, who was sitting on her bed, her legs folded and her arms wrapped around then, whimpering.

           "She doesn't realize what she did, or what she can do, with her powers," Paige said, looking around the room.  Phoebe gently moved towards her sister, but Piper scurried back, away from her, and whimpered louder.

           "Don't be afraid of us, Piper," Phoebe said gently.

           "Who are you people?  Why are you here?" Piper asked through sniffles.

           At that moment, Leo orbed in, a look of worry on his face.  Piper looked at him, gave a squeak, then ran to duck behind Paige.

           "There's a _boy_ in the house!" the teen whispered, her face now six shades of red.  She was staring at Leo, a look of fear and nervousness on her face.

           "Piper," Paige said, turning around to face the timid adolescent and gesturing to Leo.  "That's not a boy.  That's Leo, your h -"

           "- Heavenly protector!"  Phoebe interrupted quickly, giving Paige a look and whispering.  "She was terribly shy around boys at that age, from the stories I heard."

           "Okay, well, I have to go to work, so, um... you'll have to watch her, please?"  Paige asked Phoebe, giving her a pleading look.

           "I have work too, you know," Phoebe said.

           "One of us has to stay with her!  Leo?"  Paige asked, turning to him.

           "I can't, not with the work I do," he replied.

           "Okay, I'll take her, but you owe me," Paige said, grabbing her coat and gesturing for Piper to follow her.  Phoebe opened the front door to leave as well, and Leo orbed out once Piper was out the door.

INT. SOUTH BAY SOCIAL SERVICES, MAIN ROOM, DAY

           Paige walked into the office, Piper following her timidly.  Her boss, Mr. Cowan, walked out from his private office and came towards her.

           "Ms. Matthews, we don't provide babysitting here, who's the kid?" he asked her, looking down at Piper.  The timid teen shrank back in shyness.

           "Oh, um, this is my cousin, Piper," Paige said, thinking fast and hoping he'd buy the fib.

           "Ms. Matthews, I'll repeat what I just said, we do not provide babysitting services, so I suggest you ask one of your sisters to handle the kid and get to work," Mr. Cowan said, a stern expression on his face.  He turned and walked back into his office, and Paige hurried to her cubicle, Piper following her obediently.

           When Paige got into her office, she grabbed the phone and dialed Phoebe's office, keeping an eye on Piper.

           "Phoebe Halliwell," Phoebe said in professional greeting when she picked up.

           "Phoebe?  It's Paige," she said.

INT. BAY MIRROR, PHOEBE'S OFFICE, SAME TIME

           "Paige, uh, I'm kind of busy right now, what's wrong," Phoebe said, typing something into her computer as she talked.  Her assistant came in and handed her a crate full of letters, smiled, then left.

           "I can't keep Piper here, my boss almost blew a gasket when I brought her in!"  Paige said.

           Phoebe rubbed her temple and sighed.  She glanced around at all the letters still unread and sighed.

           "I can't have her here, she'll distract me!"  Phoebe said.  She heard playful giggling on the other end and Paige's aggravated groan.  "Alright, uh, orb her here during our lunch hour, okay?"

INT. SBSS, PAIGE'S OFFICE, SAME TIME 

           "Okay," Paige said, then hung up the phone.  While she had been talking, Piper had curiously leafed through (and disorganized) much of Paige's paperwork, leaving her once-semi-organized office in shambles.

           When lunchtime rolled around, Paige took her sister's hand and started to orb.

           "AAHH!" Piper screamed, stepping back quickly.  Paige looked to the window that faced the main area, and she saw a few people looking in their direction.

           "You don't have to be afraid of me, Piper.  I won't EVER hurt you, okay?" Paige said soothingly, facing her sister again.  "We need to go to Phoebe."

           Piper nodded, and Paige orbed her to Phoebe's office - 

INT. BAY MIRROR, PHOEBE'S OFFICE, THAT AFTERNOON

           - Muttering a quick thank you before orbing back to her office.  Phoebe groaned as her assistant walked in at the same time (not noticing Paige or Piper) and placed a crate full of letters on her desk, smiling sympathetically.

           "Alright, Piper, um..." Phoebe said, trying to find something to occupy the frazzled teen.  Piper was so overwhelmed that she thrust her arms out and accidentally froze another of Phoebe's co-workers, and whimpered in frustration.  Phoebe sighed and bent down to look Piper in the eyes, then spoke sternly.  "Piper, honey, you've gotta calm down!"

           At that, Piper's eyes widened, and she ran off into the newspaper's bullpen.

INT. BAY MIRROR, BULLPEN, SECONDS LATER

           Piper ran from Phoebe's office in hysterics, accidentally waving her arms and blowing a nearby waste bin into smithereens.  This only caused her to panic even more, and the people who saw what happened gave Phoebe a look of confusion.

           "Uhh..." she said, smiling nervously.

INT. DEONIC UNDERGROUND, ETERNAL NIGHT

           Melinda struggled to break free of the ropes typing her to a pole.  The two demons had shimmered out a few minutes ago, and she knew they were going to find another victim.  Sure enough, they shimmered in, one holding a girl about her age, and the other grabbed another rope.  They tied the other girl up, and put a piece of tape on her mouth, just as they had to Melinda.  Then they gave a sinister laugh and shimmered out.  The other girl writhed frantically, trying to get free, and Melinda looked her in they eyes.

           "Everything will be okay," she said, sending a telepathic message to the girl, and the girl's eyes widened in shock.

           "You're a – a witch too?" the girl said, using the same telepathic power as Melinda.

           "Yes, and my mother and aunts are too.  They're the Charmed Ones, and they'll come for us, don't worry," Melinda said.  The two girls then sat in wait, praying for their rescuers to come...

INT. MANOR, PARLOR, THAT NIGHT

           "We've gotta get those demons, so Piper can go back to the way she was," Paige said, as they sat in the parlor that evening.  "And besides, Mel's life is at stake!"

           "Well, all we have to do is set Piper out as 'bait,' and wait till they come for her," Phoebe said, glancing at the younger version of her sister, who was sitting in a nearby chair, reading a book.

           "Then what?"  Paige asked.

           "Well, we follow them back to wherever their 'headquarters' are, shall we say, and that should be where the others are," Phoebe said.

           At that moment, two demons shimmered in.  Spotting Phoebe first and then Paige, one demon threw energy balls at them, while the other went to Piper and grabbed her.  

           "No!" Phoebe said, as she dodged energy ball after energy ball.  The poor girl screamed in panic, then fainted of utter shock.  Paige gestured and called for two energy balls at once, and threw them at each of the demons, but they shimmered out before the energy balls could reach their targets, taking Piper with them.

           "Piper!" Phoebe cried frantically.__


	5. Act IV: Reconciliation

ACT IV

INT. MANOR, PARLOR, SAME NIGHT

           Paige paced frantically as Phoebe flipped the pages of the BoS.  Leo had orbed Up There to ask the Elders if They knew of a solution, but Phoebe and Paige had a feeling that the Elders would leave it all to them.  Sure enough, Leo orbed back in a while later, saying that who or whatever had Melinda and Piper was blocking themselves against detection with powerful magic.  Suddenly, a page in the Book caught Phoebe's eye, and she gave a triumphant cheer, causing Paige to jump in surprise.

           "We can use this spell to find her!"  Phoebe said, pointing to the page.  The words at the top of the page read _To Call a Lost Witch_.  Paige gasped.  Piper had tried the spell in hopes of bringing Prue back, but instead, she'd unknowingly led them to Paige.

           "That's a really good idea," Paige said.

           "We'll just modify it," Phoebe said, grabbing a pad and pen that lay nearby, "So it'll take us to her."  Leo nodded in agreement as did Paige, and Paige went in search of the ingredients and items they needed for the spell while Phoebe made the adjustments...

INT. DEMONIC UNDERGROUND, ETERNAL NIGHT

           "AAHH!"  Piper screamed, as the two ugly creatures that had kidnapped her took her to a dark place.  She hated dark places.  Two others her age were tied and gagged, and one looked strangely familiar.

           "Shut up, witch!" one of the demons said, and Piper started to cry.  The demons tied her up just as the others were, and left, laughing evilly.  Piper heard a voice speak suddenly, but it wasn't aloud, it was... it was in her mind!

           "Don't be afraid, okay?" the voice said, and she turned to the others to see if they'd heard it too.  The girl closest to her, the one who'd seemed familiar, was looking at her, seemingly staring, and she realized that the girl was the one who'd spoken in her head.  This caused her to utter a scream, muffled by the tape over her mouth.

INT. MANOR, PARLOR, NIGHT

           _"Powers of the sisters rise, course unseen across the skies.  In this slowly passing hour, we call upon our Charming power.  Our powers and blood will lead the way, to find the ones who were taken away.  We call upon the power of three, to vanquish the demons and set our loved ones free."_

           Phoebe and Paige recited the spell, and they felt a surge of energy course through them as they disappeared, not knowing where they'd be transported to or what they'd encounter when they got there.

INT. DEMONIC UNDERGROUND, ETERNAL NIGHT

           Phoebe and Paige appeared in a dark and dreary place, which they immediately realized was the underworld.  A sound from nearby caught their attention, and they went in the direction of it.  They found themselves in a large cavern, lit only by a few candles.

           "HELP!!"

           "Did you hear that?" Paige asked, alarmed.

           "Yeah, I think it came from over there," Phoebe said, pointing to their right.  The two took off through a nearby entryway in the direction of the sound, both of them extremely worried.  They found themselves suddenly in a smaller cavern, and Phoebe gasped at the sight they met.

           Melinda, Piper, and another girl were bound and gagged, and a gruesome demon stood over Piper, a gleaming athame in his hand.  Piper's eyes were wide in terror, and the demon had a strong grip on one of her arms, which had a huge slash mark on it, but it didn't seem to be bleeding.

           "Get your filthy hands off of our sister!"  Paige shouted, and gestured to the athame in his hand.  "Athame!"  The athame disappeared in a cloud of orbs and reappeared in Paige's hand.  The demon gave a look of surprise, which quickly turned to a sinister smirk, and he was about to blink out but Paige threw the first potion vial at him, vanquishing him.

           "Whoo!  Now THAT was a vanquish!"  Paige said, then noticed the two girls still tied up.

           "Oh my goshes!"  Phoebe shouted, running with Paige towards the girls.  But suddenly, the demon was in front of Paige.  No, wait... this was a new demon, probably the second one in Phoebe's vision.  He shot an energy ball at her, and she instinctively orbed out to avoid it, orbing back in behind him.

           "Hey, demon-guy, I'm over here now!" she shouted, and he whipped around to face her, growling.  "Oohhh, such a temper!"

           He went to punch her, but she blocked it.  She kicked out her leg and tripped him, then kicked him to knock him out cold.

           "Ha!  I showed him!"  Paige said, sticking her tongue out at the unconscious demon.  Then she threw the potion vial at him, and he was vanquished.

           "Paige!  Get over here, we gotta get them back to the manor so Leo can heal them!"  Phoebe shouted, gesturing hurriedly.  Suddenly, she noticed something peculiar, and they both gasped in awe: Piper had transformed back into her adult self!  she was still bruised, of course, but Leo could fix that.

           Paige rushed over to Phoebe and grasped her hand, then grasped one of Piper's weakened hands while Phoebe took one of Melinda's.  Then she orbed them all back to the Manor, where Leo could heal the two bruised girls.

INT. MANOR, PARLOR, NIGHT

           Leo was pacing back and forth worriedly when they orbed in.  He looked from Paige, to Phoebe, to Piper, a look of deep concern and anguish on his face.

           "Don't just stand there, dammit, heal them!"  Paige said, to which he rushed over and placed a hand over each of them.  Both hands glowed a golden color, and Paige knew that he was healing them.  After a minute or so, Melinda stirred, followed by Piper.

           "Daddy?  What happened?"  Melinda asked groggily.

           "Shhh, don't worry, you need rest, I'll help you upstairs," Phoebe said, helping her to her feet gently.  Meanwhile, Paige helped Piper over to the couch and sat her down slowly.  Then they told her everything that had happened...

INT. MANOR, PARLOR, THAT NIGHT

           Piper knocked on Melinda's door and leaned against the doorframe.  Melinda was leaning her head into her closet, looking for something to wear to school the next day.  Not noticing Piper there, she grabbed a shirt and skirt out of her closet and went over to her mirror, holding them up to her and glancing decisively.  She suddenly noticed Piper's reflection in the mirror and glared at it.

           "That's a nice outfit," Piper said encouragingly, smiling.

           "Thanks," Melinda said, then the room was filled with an uneasy silence.

           "Um, listen, Melinda," Piper started, easing into the room.  "I didn't mean to be so harsh on you.  But I did have my reasons, and, um," Piper sighed.  "I think you should hear them."

           "Just go away, mom!  I don't wanna hear it!"  Melinda yelled, turning to face her mother.

           "You could have exposed yourself, or for that matter all of us!  You used your powers in plain sight, and you used them for personal gain!"

           "But I didn't get us exposed, so take a chill pill!"  Melinda shouted back, putting her hands on her hips defensively.

           "You're lucky you didn't, Melinda!  Trust me, I know!"

           "Yeah, right!"  Melinda shouted back, standing up.  "How would you know?!"

           "Your Aunt Prue _died_ because of us being exposed!"

           At that, the room went silent again, until Melinda quietly said, "Oh."

           Piper's eyes grew teary at the sudden memory of her elder sister, but she raised her head confidently and started to tell the story: "We were... we were, um, trying to save the latest innocent, Dr. Griffiths, from a demon named Shax.  Phoebe had gone to the attic for a vanquishing spell, and Shax burst through the door and blasted Prue and me through a wall.  He tried to kill Dr. Griffiths, but Phoebe chanted her spell just in time, making Shax disappear.  Then she summoned Leo to heal us.  Prue felt that Shax was still alive, so she and I went off in search of him.  He attacked us in the street, but I used my new power to blow him up...  But we didn't know that a news reporter caught the scene on tape.  We went back and told Phoebe what happened, and convinced Dr. Griffiths to keep our secret.  Meanwhile, Phoebe decided that she wanted to use a potion on Cole to destroy his evil side and she asked us to send her to him...."

           As Piper told more and more of the story, Melinda's eyes grew teary with the realization that maybe Piper _did_ know the threat of exposure...

           "Shax came into the house and attacked us, just like the first time, but Phoebe wasn't there to send Shax away or to call Leo to heal Prue and me.  Shax then killed Dr. Griffiths, and left us there, unconscious... to die..."

           Melinda started to cry, and she wrapped her arms around Piper in a comforting hug.  "I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry I doubted you!"

           Piper looked at her daughter for a beat, then kissed her on the forehead.  "I forgive you.  I love you, Melinda.  I love you more than anyone in the world, even my sisters.  Don't you ever forget that."

           Piper checked her watch, "You'd better to sleep, you've gotta get up for school in the morning."  She helped Melinda get into bed and pulled the bedcovers up to her chin, to keep Melinda warm.  Then she kissed Melinda goodnight, walked to the doorway, and put her hand on the light switch.  "Good night, my dear, and blessed be."

           With that, she turned off the light and closed Melinda's bedroom door, smiling contentedly.

_THE END___


End file.
